Tropical Aroma Cake

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Flour and grease three 8-inch cake pans.

BATTER:

Cream shortening. Mix in sugar a little at a time. Add well-beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly.

Sift flour, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon together. Add a little of this mixture to the shortening mixture. Add milk a small amount at a time. Add remaining dry ingredients. Add 1 teaspoon only of vanilla. Mix thoroughly, but don’t over-beat.

Take two-thirds of the batter and divide it evenly between 2 of the cake pans. Mix 1 tablespoon of cocoa with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Add this mixture to the remaining one-third of the batter, stirring evenly. This last portion of batter will be the middle layer of the cake. Place it into the 3rd cake pan. Bake all 3 pans of batter for 15 to 20 minutes until done.

FROSTING:

Slowly cream butter and confectioner’s sugar together. Add the remaining 10 tablespoons of cocoa, beating until light and fluffy. Add remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Add coffee a few drops at a time, making the frosting soft enough to spread.

Frost the top of the first layer. Add the cocoa layer on top and ice its top. Add the third layer and finish icing the top and sides of the cake.